Finally got that old Campagnolo hub right after 4 tries

I picked up a vintage bike from a flea market in Portland about 3 years back. The rear hub was a Campagnolo Record from the 80s and it had this weird drag no matter what I did. Last week I tore it down again and found a tiny burr on the axle shoulder that was messing with the bearing preload... took a fine file and some patience to smooth it out. Runs like new now and I can't believe I missed such a small thing for that long. Anyone else ever chase a hub issue for years only to find something that simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.anthony14d ago

Man, that burr on the axle shoulder is a classic trap. I had a similar thing with an old Shimano 600 hub where the cone had a tiny chip on the bearing race surface from some previous ham-fisted over-tightening. Took me swapping out all the bearings and races twice before I noticed it with a magnifying glass. The drag would come and go depending on how the bearings sat, drove me nuts for almost a year. You really have to look for those microscopic flaws, a little file or some fine sandpaper is the only fix. Once you get it smooth, it's like the hub was never broken in the first place. Couple drops of good oil and it spins forever now.

gray87514d ago

File work helps sometimes but it's easy to mess up the hardening if you go too deep. I've had luck just polishing it with a fine stone instead of sandpaper, keeps the surface consistent without changing the geometry. Also worth checking the cup inside the hub for any matching damage, sometimes the two flaws are paired and you only find one.

jamie80414d ago

Totally agree with what @gray875 and owens.anthony are saying. That burr on the axle shoulder is sneaky because it'll feel smooth to your finger but still catch a bearing. My trick is to hit those spots with a jewelers file and then polish with 0000 steel wool. Take it slow and check the fit every few strokes so you don't take off too much material. Also worth cleaning the hub shell threads while you're in there, that's another spot that'll mess up bearing preload if there's crud built up.